Well, I now know where I’d like to be next Easter. I’ve been in France for Easter, where, apart from church services on Sunday, there was nothing much happening. I’d love to see the procession. They do it in Italy as well (saw it on TV). Thanks for telling us about the conical hoods – we all needed that explanation!

I hope you make it to Andalucia next Easter, Trish – it’s much more moving to actually be there. I’m sure you can imagine the atmosphere. It’s electric.

Look at my reply to Restless Jo – along with the routes and timings of the Malaga parades alone. This kind of thing (on a different scale) is happening in pretty much every town and village throughout Spain.

It’s tragic that the hoods are remembered as being connected to such a disgusting organisation as the KKK.

There are up to 8 different processions every day this week, Jo, in Malaga city alone. Most of them last around 7 hours and some more than 12 hours. At some point of the day (or night) they will all be happening at the same time!

So that will give you a clue as to just how MASSIVE Semana Santa really is.

I’m feeling seriously ‘homesick’ now, Marianne! I must spend next Easter in the Algarve but this year it’s close to my going to Poland for a wedding, and Michael’s business has been busy so he didn’t want to be away. 😦
I know Semana Santa is huge in Sevilla and have never been sure if I’d want to brave the crowds. I think it’s more low key in the Algarve, though I’ve only ever been to one procession, inland in Sao Bras, which was quite magical.

A common feature of Semana Santa is the Nazareno or penitential robe for some of the participants in the processions.

This garment consists in a tunic, a hood with conical tip (known as a capirote) used to conceal the face of the wearer, and sometimes a cloak. The exact colors and forms of these robes depend on the particular procession.

The robes were widely used in the medieval period for penitents, who could demonstrate their penance while still masking their identity.

Sadly, even though these robes and hoods have been used since medieval times in this way, they were “hi-jacked” by the Klu Klux Klan in the late 1860s – for which they are more “well-known” outside of Spain.